What is it About Elevators?
by BlackSantaMan
Summary: Slow elevators. The bane of Commander Shepard's existence. Well, maybe not...perhaps all he really needed was the right company to occupy the time? This is one elevator ride he won't forget. ME2 One-Shot


**Just a premise that was bouncing around in my head and couldn't shake, so I decided to see what would happen with it. I've been dealing with writers block on my main story _Convalescence_ so it was nice to be able to write something and feel productive. This is all just fluff and fun, but everyone enjoys that once in awhile. Hope you all enjoy it.**

**Warning: This One-Shot is a little citrusy. Meaning, that it contains a lemon. I think it's a tame one, but I am not you, so if you only like lemons in your lemonade please stop reading this now. Thank you.  
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**Disclaimer: Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, and all characters, planets, story lines, and events contained within it are property of the writers and developers at BioWare. I claim no ownership...I just enjoy pretending. **

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**What is it About Elevators?**

_What is it about elevators?_ He thought heatedly.

What was it about elevators that made them so uncomfortable, and yet, so maddeningly alluring at the same time? How could it be that such a cramped, claustrophobic, and impersonal space could also be so enticing, romantic, and private? How did elevators occupy both extremes on the spectrum of personal space and desire; welcome and unwelcome? Why was it that when one was in an elevator with a casual acquaintance it felt awkward, both parties staring blankly ahead waiting for the dreaded ride to hurry to its conclusion? But when with the right person, an elevator sparked desire. With the right person, an elevator made the sexual tension build to unbearable levels. With the right person, an elevator was as good as any bedroom…

Jack Shepard kept this in mind as the heavy blast doors of the Normandy SR2's lone elevator closed slowly behind them, hissing as the small space was pressurized. There were four floors for the elevator to climb from the shuttle bay to his quarters. It wasn't a long trip, even with how slow the elevator moved; and it did move slowly, sometimes painfully so.

He moved to hit the button for the Captain's Cabin at the same time she made to hit the button for the Combat Information Center, causing his five-fingered hand to brush ever so slightly against her three-fingered one.

"Oh…sorry" she stammered shyly, her unique accent giving the simple words a sensual tinge. 'Sorry' in particular was one of the words where her accent was thickest; the way it rolled off her tongue caused him to shift his weight uncomfortably and the temperature in his veins to rise.

The normally frigid elevator felt much warmer than usual as the two stood next to each other in the confined space, barely a foot apart. Tali continued to wring her hands together as she waited for the lift to kick in. She peaked over at Shepard through the side of her visor, glad for once that the mask obscured her face from his view. She noticed that he seemed to be looking everywhere but in her direction.

When he finally allowed himself to look over at her, a charming smile spread itself over his face, eliciting a smile from her as well. As they continued to watch each other she could feel heat begin to rise not only in her cheeks, but her abdomen as well. It didn't help that she had been dreaming about him in less than appropriate ways for her past several sleep cycles; each fantasy causing her to awaken with a start, her face covered in a slight sheen of sweat.

_Keelah…_she groaned internally. _I need to get a hold of myself…soon enough Tali._ But even now, just trading stares with him in an elevator she felt the urge to go to him, to feel him against her in the most intimate of ways. The more she thought about it, the more her skin tingled; it was as if the tiny space of the elevator was filled with electricity, causing sparks to fly between them.

She finally averted her gaze, unable to bear the tension. However, the heat in the elevator did not diminish. It still hung heavy in the air like a cloud of smoke; and every breath she took only served to make her more aware of it. She wondered if he felt it too, did being in here with her, affect him the same way?

Tali was so wrapped up in her musings that she failed to notice as Shepard stole yet another quick glance at her--watching her fidget with her hands.

It had been three weeks since they had revealed their feelings for one another in front of the ship's drive core. Since she had apologized unnecessarily for telling him she felt something for him--just like she had now. Saying she was being irrational and selfish; that she couldn't make him happy. He wouldn't have one word of it, of all the women on the Normandy who had propositioned him, and there were several, he knew there was only one that could make him happy. He would have kissed her right then and there if he could have, just to stop her ridiculous rambling. Her nervousness and willingness to accept his rejection had only served to strengthen his resolve to make things work between them. There was no one on the whole damn ship--perhaps even the whole galaxy--whom he trusted, respected, or cared about, more than Tali'Zorah.

He found it quite endearing--the way she acted around him--she didn't act the way she did around him when she talked to anyone else. Her shyness and awkwardness seemed to be saved only for him--the thought made him smile. He was the same way around her if he were being honest. He had been with at least a dozen women, human and otherwise, in his life, but never had he been as deeply affected by one. The whole experience with Tali was new to him, he had never been embarrassed or shy about his love life, but around her he just couldn't seem to help it. _She's rubbing off on me_, he thought, but quickly dismissed it, as the thought of her rubbing off on him caused his heart to beat faster and his already wavering control to falter even more.

They stood awkwardly in the elevator. He could feel the tension rolling off of her in waves, and it was affecting him. His body felt hot, uncomfortable even, the hair on the back of his neck standing up straight. His mouth was dry, and he had an empty feeling in the back of his throat; he longed to touch her. He looked over at her again, deciding to try and break the tension that clung to them in the tiny space.

"You really need to stop doing that, you know?" He grinned at her as he placed his hands behind his back in an attempt to keep himself from grabbing her and roughly pulling her to him.

"I'm sorry?" She questioned distractedly, as her head quickly shot up from looking at her hands to gaze at him.

"Saying sorry for no reason, you really should try and stop it." He said with a crooked-smile gracing his lips. "You don't have to apologize to me, especially for touching my hand. I actually quite enjoyed it; I enjoy any and every chance I get to touch you." He added suggestively.

Tali could feel the heat rise even higher in her cheeks at the same time his words caused the tightly wound muscles in the core of her body to tighten even further. She looked down, her hands suddenly becoming very interesting again. "Right...of course. I'm sor-" Shepard cleared his throat, loudly cutting her off mid-apology.

"Oops." She giggled as he quirked an eyebrow at her, as if he were daring her to say 'sorry' one more time.

"This might be harder for you to do than I thought. I don't know if you can do it." He laughed, glad that some of the tension had dissipated.

She rolled her eyes beneath her visor as he laughed at her, a thought occurring to her. _He's so cocky, huh? Well two can play this game._ She lifted her head and stared at him with narrowed eyes, clenching her fists at her side as she steeled her nerves, and tried to sound more confident in than she actually was. "Well maybe I just need some positive reinforcement _Commander_." She whispered seductively--laying her quarian accent on as heavily as she could--as she took a measured step towards him. "Perhaps if I had the proper _motivation_, unnecessary apologies wouldn't be a problem, _don't you agree?_" She asked, pouring all the lust she was feeling into her words. To accentuate her point she slowly and sensually slid her finger down the side of Shepard's face, from his temple all the way to the base of his throat, where his skin met the beginning of his shirt.

Tali watched, full of satisfaction, as his eyes widened and his jaw slackened in disbelief at her surprising display of boldness. She smiled wide and did a mental fist pump as she turned away from him to walk to the other side of the lift--which had now reached Engineering. _Ha! Let him make of that what he will._ She thought triumphantly as she turned back around to marvel at the shock splayed over Shepard's face.

She jumped in shock, however, when she turned to find Shepard practically standing on top of her. His pupils dilated, and eyelids draped heavily over hooded eyes. "Be careful what you wish for, Miss vas Normandy." He whispered as he placed his hands on either side of the wall behind her, effectively trapping her between them.

"Jack!" She said in an airy voice. She had intended for it to sound stern and admonishing, however, it came out sounding desperate and full of want. "This is hardly the time or place." Her excuse sounded weak, even to her. She tried to mean it, but she couldn't force herself to.

"Tell me you've felt it?" Shepard questioned as his hands traveled at an achingly slow pace down her shoulders to her hips, where he grasped her tightly causing a gasp to fall from her parted lips.

"Yes." Was all she could muster to say. She knew exactly what he meant. The current buzzing in the air that had hung between them since the doors to the elevator had closed, that had her stomach in knots and her skin feeling as if it were electrified. She was glad he felt it too, glad it was affecting him.

"Do you have any idea the effect you have on me Tali'Zorah?" He murmured, his voice husky, as his hands moved down from her hips and palmed her behind.

"If it is anything like the effect you have on me, then yes." She responded, shocked by the sound of her own voice, it was so full of unchained desire that it barely sounded like her. Tali ran her hands over Shepard's shaved head before wrapping them around his neck tightly, pulling him even closer to her than before, she was now completely pinned between the him and the wall.

"I've been dreaming about you Jack…dreaming about _us_." She whispered directly into his ear, "I can't deny how badly I want us to work."

"Please do tell, Miss vas Normandy? I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject of us." He swiftly pulled her feet up off the ground, and she instinctively threw her legs around his waist, locking her ankles around his lower back.

Tali couldn't speak, couldn't even think in that moment. She was complete mush in his arms as her very being buzzed in anticipation and carnal need.

It was then that she was hit with an abrupt reality check.

Never in her life had she ever been in this sort of position, or even thought about being in it. She suddenly became hyperaware of the fact that she had no idea what she was doing; shyness quickly began to seep into her and her resolve started to crumble. "Shepard…Jack. I…" she stuttered, now quite self-conscious.

"Tali." Was all Shepard said; his voice full of understand, as if he knew exactly what thought had entered her mind. Her eyes quickly traveled back up to his; diamonds and sapphires locked together in a silent exchange.

_He knows…and he doesn't care._ The realization felt like an elcor had just been lifted from her narrow shoulders. She felt reenergized by the fact that despite her inexperience, Shepard still wanted her, and that it didn't matter to him. _Keelah, I love him_. She wanted to tell him, wanted him to know, but she couldn't, not yet. She was still afraid of what he might think or say.

Shepard pulled her closer then, breaking her from her reverie. Silently he nuzzled his forehead against the top of her visor, before placing a chaste kiss right above her mask's audio output. The sweet gesture made her lips tingle, and her mouth watered as the desire to slam her lips against his flung itself to the forefront of her mind. Her body once again was singing with desire to feel him, any part of him. And it was with a renewed sense of vigor and want that Tali pulled herself into Shepard, grinding her core against his pelvis, a slight moan slipping from her parted lips.

Her noises and movements elicited a deep animalistic growl from the depths of the Commander's throat; his eyes darkened. He quickly glanced at what floor the elevator was on--they had just reached Deck 3: Crew's Quarters. _That's not a lot of time._ He thought as he wracked his brain, trying to formulate a plan on how exactly something--anything--could work between them right now in this moment.

_YES!_ He shouted internally as a key passage from the digital pamphlet on human-quarian relations Mordin had forwarded to his private terminal only days ago sprang to the forefront of his thoughts…

_**Due to the fact that quarians spend the vast majority of their lives within personal bio-containment suits, quarian skin is known to be very sensitive and responsive to outside stimulation, due to an overall general lack of direct skin contact with outside stimuli for most of their lives. This results in an increased physical reaction, both positive and negative, to direct stimulation of the skin. Use caution during direct skin-to-skin contact with a quarian, as too much pressure is known to cause extreme discomfort. However, it is also noted that because of this hypersensitivity, quarians have a reputation for being easily pleased lovers.**_

He smiled deviously. _Perhaps there is something we can do about this_. His eyes once again locked with Tali's, his plan now formed. "Do you trust me Tali?" He asked her before continuing.

"Always." She breathed almost too quickly. It was true, she did trust him, but at this point in time she was too far gone to be worried about such things.

"Hold on to me, Tali, as tight as you can." He murmured into her hood. An incoherent moan escaped her lips as her grip tightened around his neck in compliance.

Shepard continued to support Tali's weight with his right arm around her ass, while he snaked his left arm low around her hips, hugging her warm center tightly to him. He moved his legs further apart and bent his knees to hold her weight probably and to brace himself.

Tali's heart leapt into her throat when she realized for what Shepard was adjusting his body in an attempt to accomplish. Her hands grasped even harder at his back, desperately seeking leverage, only too happy to comply. Shepard slowly but forcefully began to rock his hips into the hot core of her body in the hope of using her overly sensitive quarian skin to his advantage.

She let out a whimper as her body registered the pleasant friction his movements caused. She hadn't realized just how ready her body was for this…for him. The arousal between her thighs seemed to be growing at an unprecedented rate--not that she had much to compare it to. She could feel the wetness starting to seep into the inner most lining of her suit, dampening her inner-thighs; she distantly thought about having to clean it later.

Shepard continued to rock himself into her, noting with satisfaction that the pamphlet's assumption on hypersensitive quarian skin seemed to be accurate. Tali's noises of pleasure served to further his own, and he grunted as he pumped into her; his pace and force building faster and harder. His own desire becoming more and more pronounced as they moved together.

Although she was inexperienced, Tali could not deny her body's natural instincts as she began to grind herself against Shepard, meeting his thrusts, her physical need overriding all other function. Each movement caused the growing bulge that was Shepard's arousal to be pressed harder into her own, causing her to body to shudder, and the tightening coils in her to squeeze harder, begging for release. Tali's hands continued to claw at Shepard's back, trying to gain purchase and more leverage so that she could get pressure where it was needed most. He felt his shirt slip up off his lower back, and heard several seams rip as Tali fisted it in her hands, as a result.

"Keelah…Jack…Shepard…I…you…" She moaned, but trailed off before she could finish, too far absorbed in their actions to formulate words. The building pressure inside her body was starting to become too much to take. Her face was covered in sweat as she pushed herself more vigorously against him, grinding and withering at every bit of contact she felt. She couldn't take much more; her body was at the precipice, ready to fall.

She suddenly shuddered violently, her tight grip on him becoming even more so, as a string of moaned quarian words that his translator failed to decipher fell from her lips. Her nerves exploded in pure euphoric pleasure; all the tension that had been building inside her like a spring shot forth in a glorious release. He gazed at her in awe as her body convulsed against his, her orgasm rocking through her. The strength of which took him by surprise, resulting in both of them being driven to the floor of the elevator--her on top of him.

Shepard stared up at her, wonder in his eyes. And though it was hidden, Tali's expression mirrored his. She laid her helmeted ear on his chest, both of them breathing erratically, and drenched in sweat. She wished she could listen to his heart as it began to slow back to a more steady rhythm, but her helmet prevented any such thing.

_I can't believe what just happened_, she smiled. She turned her head to look back up at Shepard, who was taking deep measured breaths to try and control his heart rate. He felt her eyes on him and smiled, and turned his gaze to meet hers. He ran his hand over her shawl, stroking it as you would hair, and he smiled.

She opened her mouth to speak, but words failed her at that moment, until she finally realized what she wanted to say.

"Jack, I-" She started before being cut off by the sound of the elevator door opening; a familiar voice cleared its throat with a loud cough.

They both looked up; horror etched into their features, to see his mandibles twitching into a sort of half-smile as Garrus stood there awkwardly, his eyes wide. His body shook as he tried to suppress his laughter. "I…uh, I'll get the next one." He barely got out before he busted into hysterics. "Sorry if I disrupted anything!" He shouted over his laughter as the door closed again.

Tali felt the blood drain completely from her face as she turned to face Shepard. Shepard's face was bright red, so bright in fact that it looked unhealthy. They stared at each other for a long minute before he finally started to laugh. Tali's body shook from Shepard's laughs, and she soon found herself laughing as well.

Between his laughs Shepard barely managed to get out, "I don't know about you Tali, but I'll never complain about long elevator rides ever again!"

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**Hope you all enjoyed it. I thought it was fun. This actually came about from a similar situation I found myself in in Atlantic City last weekend. I was Garrus in that one, although instead of an excellent Ghostbusters reference I just kind of stuttered and then walked away, before laughing so hard I cried.**

**For those reading this that are wondering about _Convalescence, _I haven't abandoned it, but I have been suffering writers block for it, I hope to try and get it going again soon. Like by this coming Monday (3/22).**

**Thanks for reading.  
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